The Morgana burst into view above the Sphere of Taruga. The green light of the transport effect resonated in the dark skies like an emerald aurora. It was rare enough that light such as this came to Taruga, rarer still that it was this welcome in the cursed darkness of the Sphere.

Kirone sat in her command chair, nervously chewing on her fingernail. She thought about how close she was to her destiny, and what it all meant.

Ever since she was a child, she had been told that one child born of two races would unite the Spheres forever. She had been born of two races, half Vampire, half Fallen, and had been groomed since her fourth year to achieve that destiny.

A few years into her studies of magic she had found a ship in the desert world of her birth. The Skyshadow was a relic, but it was a relic of a more powerful time, when science was more dominant than magic. Kirone used both. And she had come close on two occasions to winning it all.

But she had not been the only child of destiny. Darken Blackangel, was like her, a halfling. But he had never been groomed, as she had, for rulership of the Spheres. Matter of fact, he seemed to shy away from power.

The fool, she thought. Power is everything. It always has been. Of course, I was certain to win eventually before he won the favor of that goddess, Phoenix Romanova.

Kirone bit her nail some more, pinning it between her fangs. She blew a stray stand of her red hair from her face. That had complicated things. Until she had met a god of her own.

Garuda Azazel. He had visited her twice, Once in a dream, once . . .she wasn't sure. It had felt real. She had been fascinated with him ever since. He had taken her and loved her in ways she had never dared dream.

And in return, she carried the key to his rebirth on this world in her mind and in her heart.

She saw the black towers of the capital city coming up and touched the communication crystal. "King Cryptonus, please."

"Cryptonus is unavailable, who calls?"

"This is his daughter, Kirone Witchfire," Kirone said. "Tell him I'm home at last."

* * *

Darken found Sachiel where he had been standing for hours. He was watching the Angels and Dragons repairing the skyships. Most of them had taken damage in the battle with the Machine Sphere; some had been almost destroyed.

Darken sighed. They were luckier than they deserved. He walked over to Sachiel and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It feels like just yesterday," he said. "We were young rivals in love."

Sachiel turned. He touched Darken's shoulder. "You’re alive?"

"Yeah," Darken said. "Just barely, it felt like. I'm sorry Sachiel. I should have been able to stop Kirone."

"It's not your fault," Sachiel said. He turned back to look at the ships. "I really don’t know what to do, Darken. Lion and the rest suggest we launch an attack."

"That's suicide," Darken said, turning to look at the ships.

"I know," he said. "And we can't afford that. But damn it, Darken, we have to do something. Everyone feels so powerless here . . .we need a victory. Before despair sets in and we can't do anything."

Darken looked at him. "The question is, how do we go about getting you one?"

"I won't ask you," Sachiel said. "You've done enough, and besides, you never wanted this life."

Darken ran a white-gloved hand on the railing of the ship. "It looks like I may have no other choice."

"You say that with remarkable certainty," Sachiel sighed. "I'm not certain of anything. Darken, how did it get this bad so quick?"

"My fault, partly," Darken said. "I ran from my destiny while Kirone ran towards hers. Now she's got everything in palm of her hand. The only way to make it right is to kill her."

"Darken . . ."

Darken sighed and looked out the window. "I know," he said. "I've never killed anyone intentionally. But I'm the one who can do it. Kirone's the key . . .remove her and there's nothing."

"That's insane Darken," Sachiel replied. "It's suicide."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Darken said.

"And if you did kill her? Then what?"

"That would give you the opening you needed," Darken said. "Everyone would be so confused that you could sweep in with your attack."

Sachiel looked at him. "Darken," he said. "Are you volunteering? Or do you just want to die?"

"I don't intend to die."

"No one intends to die."

* * *

Cryptonus stood before her, clad in dark black armor. On his shoulder was the skull of a dragon he had killed long ago. His blue hair was braided and fell about his steel horned crown. Behind him stood a division of his Royal Guard, clad in red.

He was a Vampire. They all were. Pure Vampires. Unable to walk in the light for very long without risking death. Perhaps because of their nature and their need to feed off of others they were considered evil by the other races of the Spheres.

His black lips parted in a wide smile. Which only wrinkled his batlike nose even more. He opened his arms and embraced his daughter. "Sweet Kirone," he said. "It's been far too long."

"I missed you too Father," she said. "But I'm afraid I haven't come for a visit. I need some things from you."

"Anything, Kirone," Cryptonus said.

"Good," Kirone replied. "Then I'll need a division of troops and your chariot. And you must come too."

"Where are we going. Kirone?"

"The Temple of the Red Shadows."

"Why there?"

"I'm going to find my destiny there."

* * *

Darken sat on the prow of the ship, alone. He had done a good performance, but he wasn't sure at all he could back up his words to Sachiel. His main hope had been to delay the inevitable attack as long as possible.

He thought about how all this had began. All this for an angel named Maryna. Sachiel was in love with her too, but Darken had been smitten from the first moment he looked at her. And Sachiel had despised him for it.

At least until Kirone tried to kill him. Then Sachiel and he had become fast friends. And Sachiel had found comfort in the arms of Maryna's sister, Leiliel.

Darken had found no comfort at all. Kirone had nearly completed her first plan for conquering the Spheres. And before Darken could stop her, Kirone had strangled Maryna with her bare hands.

Darken had never been the same since that moment. He had tried to kill himself and had met Phoenix.

It had worked out, well enough, he supposed, but every time he talked to Sachiel he felt a pang of sadness for the innocence that had been lost.

They were very much different now. Darken was in love with Phoenix, Sachiel in love with Leiliel. Sachiel had lost his father; rebelled against the regent that had taken his place and had won back his kingdom. But now he and Darken shared something no one ever wishes to share.

The sadness and loneliness that come with remembering the innocent times before.

He turned his head around in time to see Liandra walking toward him. Her firsts were clenched, her footsteps loud. Darken leapt to his feet, but before he could say anything, Liandra had stuck him, as hard as she could.

Darken felt pain explode around his jaw and doubled over.

"You self-centered bastard!"

"Liandra . . ."

"Telling Sachiel you were going alone, so you could get yourself killed!"

Darken rubbed his jaw. He almost smiled. News travels too fast, he thought.

"Liandra . . .I was just trying to delay them from doing something stupid."

"But you'll still go," Liandra said. "I know you."

"Yes I will," Darken said, rubbing his jaw. Liandra's really strong, he thought. "And why shouldn't I? Maybe all this is my fault."

"Don't talk like that," Liandra said, her voice cold. "You always blame yourself for everything Darken."

"I thought about it a lot while I was recovering. Darken said. "Maybe my running from my destiny is what causes all this. If I am strong, Kirone is weak. If I am gone, she prospers."

"You make it sound like it's out of our control."

"Maybe it is," Darken said. "All I know is, I'm tired of it. If it's my destiny, then maybe it's time to face it head-on."

"What about Phoenix? What about me?"

Darken pulled her close and held her. "Little sister," he said. "Don't you know I'll never leave you?"

"I'm holding you to that," she whispered. "If I have to stay close to you, I'm going to."

Darken pushed back so he could look at her. "No . . .no, Liandra," he said. "You are not going with me."

"Yes she is," a voice called from behind him. "And so am I."

* * *

Kirone and Cryptonus stood at the entrance of the Temple of the Red Shadows. "Here it is," she said, turning the massive stone door. "Here is the final key to my destiny."

"If I had known, all those years ago," Cryptonus began. "That my daughter's destiny lay in such a dark place, I wouldn't have entered into that conspiracy with that damned angel and unearthed this place."

"Father," Kirone said, her tone admonishing. "This destiny happened before you, before me, before any of our races ever walked in this world. It happened even in the ancient times, when we were on one Sphere. You see, no living thing was ever supposed to walk on this world. It was meant as a prison, nothing more."

They walked down the massive corridors, their footsteps echoing down the hallways of the Temple. Kirone walked on, her purple cloak billowing behind her. She sighed for a moment, took it all in, and continued:

"Four Dark Gods--they who existed before our universe exploded into being--were chained here. They couldn't be destroyed, they were from the time before, so they had to be chained. Seeded throughout the universe are the survivors. Four are here. How many there are in truth, no one knows.

"So long as the world remained intact, they were locked away safe forever. They could not affect anything. But as life grew and made war with itself, and the Spheres split themselves apart, the chains that held them begin to loosen."

"Loosen?" Cryptonus asked. "How?"

"As the Spheres divided or were destroyed, the four dark gods awakened. They created a race of servants, the Seketha, who worked and prepared the machines that would reawaken them. They needed them, because they could not touch the world or universe they saw, but they could see it. When my assault on the Angels led to the Desert Sphere being destroyed, it was the opening they needed to begin to affect their rebirth."

"The Seketha," Cryptonus said. "What are they?"

Kirone waved a hand. The black-robed insect appeared around her.

"They serve the Dark Gods," Kirone said. "And since I am their emissary, they work for me. As they worked for Traumiel."

Cryptonus made a face, remembering the treasonous Angel who has persuaded him to reclaim this temple. It had all been nothing but trouble, he thought.

"Kirone," he said. "I don't understand any of this. These beings work for you? And to what purpose."

"I didn't understand it at first myself," Kirone said, producing the box with the four keys. They walked to the center of the temple, a huge open space, with a strange control device in the middle of it. The guards behind them lit torches on the wall. They noticed the skeleton of a Dragon and a man of some kind on the floor.

"Now I see it as another secret of my destiny," Kirone said. She walked to the device and gestured over it. A sparkle of blue light emanated from her hands. The control panel glowed. Runes carved into the floor began to glow.

"Darken, you see, is beloved be one of the gods from our universe. It's my destiny to have the favor of the gods from the previous universe."

* * *

Adamov attached the last of the cables to his back and sat on his bench. He had decided not to go with Kirone, as he cared not a white for what she did, so long as she held up her end of the bargain.

He thought about what he had been before. Adamov of Russalka. How he missed the wintry lands of his kingdom. How he loved tending his garden, which was able to grow flowers of every variety, safe from the biting cold. And how he missed Vertigo.

Vertigo had come to his land as a stranger, and Adamov had found himself smitten from the very first time he laid eyes on her . He had loved her, made love with her in his garden. But even as they made love, things were falling apart.

Due to an imagined slight, he had been captured by his rivals and turned into this. And when he had tried to return, his death wave had killed everything he so loved.

He had practiced to bring to under control, and had gone to seek the only thing that still existed that he could say he loved.

Vertigo. But Vertigo had apparently found love in the arms of Darken Blackangel. Adamov had fought him once, and found him to be a formidable combatant. In fact, his whole family was.

He rubbed the metal collar around his neck. A gift from Darken's "sister." She had gone berserk and ripped his throat out. He would pay her back too, in time.

And then, with all his debts repaid, he would show himself to be worthy of Vertigo's love again.

* * *

Darken sighed. "Phoenix," he said. "You were eavesdropping."

"You’d be shocked at how fast news travels around here," she said. "I saved you from killing yourself once before. You don't expect me to let you do it now, do you?"

"I guess not," Darken said.

"Good. Because there's something else you need to know about."

Darken looked at her expectantly.

"At the Machine Sphere, when we . . .merged--My power mingled with yours. It's caused some changes in you."

"I've noticed when I use my Soul Power it feels different," Darken said. "More powerful."

"It's more than that," Phoenix said. "You may not be aware of this Darken, but your Soul Power is ten times what it was just a month ago. Two weeks from now, you'll be twenty times as powerful."

"Why is that a bad thing?" Liandra asked? Her fairies were flitting around Darken, looking curiously at him. "Especially with what we're talking about?"

"Because his body won't be able to handle it for much longer," Phoenix said. "Even the part he gives to you isn’t enough. He can't hold this much, not with a mortal's body."

"Wouldn't I prevent that by not merging powers with you?"

Phoenix shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she said. "I should have told you this before. I'm sorry. But . . ."

"But what?" Liandra asked. "There has to be something you can do for him."

"There is," she said. "But I promised myself I would never do it."

* * *

Four huge statues rose from the floor of the Temple of the Red Shadows. Kirone handed one of the four keys to the Seketha. They fit the keys into the indentations at the base of each statue. They pressed the key down, and the base of the statue began to glow with power.

"It's time," Kirone whispered.

She began to gesture. Spell effects formed around the room. Cryptonus, despite himself, felt fear. Where was the Kirone he remembered sending out into the world so long ago?

And more than that, why did this scare him so much? He had been a king of darkness for ages, this should not faze him at all. But he suddenly felt the press of something darker than darkness itself. Madness, Evil on a level he could not imagine.

"Now," Kirone said. "All that's required is the runes. This is where I need your help, Father. Give me your sword."

Cryptonus drew his word and handed it to her. Kirone smiled. She whispered something to him, he couldn't make it out at first . . .then he saw it:

"Forgive me"

Cryptonus felt his sword pierce his stomach. Kirone pulled it out, blood covering the blade, making it a shining metallic crimson. Kirone walked to each of the statues, following the guidance of Garuda in her head. She drew the ancient runes in her father's blood.

The temple began to shake. Light brighter than any of the sphere began to issue forth around them. The statues, glowed, then exploded in a burst of light. Kirone put her cloak over her face. The light of the spells blinded her.

When she lowered her cloak again, she saw nothing more than dust. Then shadows moved behind the dust. Slowly, they were coming into view.

The first one she saw was a massive armored figure, clad in red and black. His skeleton pierced through his armor in places. His bright orange eyes seemed to radiate anger and hatred.

Kirone knew him. This was Lassius Amoros, the God of Rage.

Behind him, a black-suited blue-haired girl stood timidly. She seemed terrified, shaking. Her eyes were streaked with permanent tears, which she was trying to hide under her blue hair. From her wrists, blades protruded.

Kirone remembered Garuda's instruction. This was his sister, Sarene Eala Cynara, the Goddess of Despair.

But where was Garuda? She wondered. Then she saw another figure emerge, this one an older woman, clad in purple and black. Her violet hair cascaded down her powerful back, her dead-white skin streaked with tattoos. Her red eyes seemed cold and merciless.

"You," she said to Kirone. "You were the one who freed us? Hardly what I expected from my deliverer."

"Be at ease, Typhena," a familiar voice, smooth and melodic said. Another one, just as pale, with long, flowing green hair, stepped from the darkness. "Our release was destined, as was our deliverance by Kirone."

Typhena, she thought. The Goddess of Agony. I hate her already.

She rushed into Garuda's arms. She kisses him, fully and passionately, holding him tight."

"Garuda," she said. "I thought you were a dream."

"Hardly that, my dear." He said. He walked around the temple and found something, an old stone cup. He lifted Cryptonus' body up, drawing blood from the wound.

"I am quite real, as are my brothers, sons, and sisters," he continued. "And with you by my side, beloved dark child of my heart, we will shake the universe to its foundations."

He tipped the cup at Kirone's lips, and she drank deeply. Garuda followed her, wiping the blood from his lips with a white-gloved hand. He raised the cup high in the air.

"To a New World of gods and monsters," he said.

* * *

Phoenix was doubled over in pain, as was Darken. It had come suddenly, Liandra didn't know what to do. She ran to Darken, trying to steady him.

"Darken," she said. "Darken, say something!"

Phoenix reared back. For a moment the faint aura of her firebird could be seen around her. Then she fell to the deck of the ship.

"They're here . . ." she whispered.